CHARLOTTE — A security guard who witnesses said chased down two shoplifting suspects and fired shots into the suspects’ car as they were trying to get away has been charged, according to police.
On Monday, officers said Tammy Huntley, 48, was charged with shooting into an occupied vehicle.
Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over the scene at the Whitehall Commons Shopping Center on South Tryon Street at around 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 8., where a heavy police presence could be seen. We also saw officers putting up crime scene tape between Lowe’s and the Walmart next door.
“She emptied her clip. I heard at least five shots. I’ve seen her let off,” a witness told Channel‘s John Paul. “I was kind of traumatic. She was shooting at the car. I don’t know what she was shooting at because I didn’t see one bullet hit. She was shooting at the car. The car kept going. He was driving.”
Channel 9 also saw a security guard sitting on the curb talking with police. Officers said a security guard working for a private business fired nearly a dozen shots after being assaulted.
“Everybody was scared. Everybody ran in and they said, ‘Everybody leave the store,’ and I was like, ‘The shooting is outside,’” one shopper said.
No one was hurt during the incident. We reached out to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police to learn if anyone in the car was hit.
DPS confirmed the security guard wasn’t licensed with the state at the time of the incident.
According to a police report from the incident, two suspects were accused of putting tools and display items in a cart and leaving without paying. The suspects were confronted by the security guard, who was assaulted before the suspects fled the scene.
The police report does not mention any shots being fired.
“I guess she decided to approach the vehicle, which was reckless. Her life could have gotten taken,” a shopper said.
A key element of the investigation is to determine if it was a justified shooting.
Former CMPD Officer Lee Ratliff now runs a professional security service, training law enforcement, security and even the military.
“The questions would be -- What the officer faced at the time of the shooting? That’s what you have to look at,” Ratliff said.
He said a security guard can pull a trigger when the guard is in imminent danger. They cannot be the instigator, based on the environment they are in, and they cannot use excessive force.
“It’s not justified to use deadly force to protect personal property, to deal with a person that is stealing, before, during or after a theft,” Ratliff said.
However, CMD said the guard was assaulted by the suspects. They didn’t say how the guard was assaulted, but the case could hinge on those details. In the case, the car could also be seen as a weapon, according to Ratliff.
“If the vehicle is being used as a deadly weapon, the officer would be authorized or justified using deadly force to protect themselves and other people,” Ratliff said.
Other security guards told Channel 9′s John Paul that the area of Whitehall Commons has had a lot of problems in the past, including a violent stabbing inside a store in 2019.
No other details have been released at this point, as this is an ongoing investigation.
Check back on wsoctv.com for updates.
Full Statement from Lowe’s regarding the incident:
“We are aware of an incident outside our SW Charlotte store earlier today and are actively assisting the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department with their investigation. Because this is an active investigation, we’re unable to share additional details. Please contact Charlotte police for more information.”
(WATCH BELOW: CMPD body camera video shows moments before police fatally shot armed man at Walmart)
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